Preoccupation
by alolomora
Summary: Alice, the Spirit of Imagination, is very much content with her life spreading creative ideas to the children of the Earth. So why would Tsar Lunar send the Guardians, the very people who ignored her and her friends for years, to approach her sprouting nonsense about her being chosen as the sixth Guardian to end the Boogeyman, Pitch Black, once and for all if she was satisfied?
1. Prologue

**Rated M for Graphic Violence, Character Death and maybe a little smut depends on if you want it.**

 **The first ten(?) or more chapters will be details to her immortal life before the main events, so I will come back to edit the prologue with the chapter title that jumps into the whole Guardian business if you want to skip them but I suggest not to or you will very confused on most things. If you're just looking for Jack, then I suggest waiting a little while or just jumping straight to the chapter he features in when it comes out. If you can find it.**

 **Many folklore characters-what they do, what they look like, their mortal background, etc-are of my own invention and I'll list them at the end of every chapter so you can research them to your leisure. I will try and not use folklore like Yuki-onna that have been used in popular RotG fanfiction just in case I accidentally start something, so they may be mentioned in passing if it's relevant.**

 **There were no Original Characters harmed by Mary-Sueitis in the making of this fanfiction.**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

* * *

December, 1849

The brush of a snowflake on her nose was the first thing she felt.

Her eyes snap open with a jolt of shock, and panic, and terror as a scream lodges itself in the back of her throat. She coughs, gulping down air as it fills her lungs. It was like a craving, like her and- _what was her name?_ -addictions to chocolate.

The crackling, repressed noise that echos around the clearing surprises her for a moment, before she realises it came from _her._ Her throat is sore, and any sound that comes from her is croaky, like she sang too loud or screamed too high for her voice box to keep up.

She feels a burning pain in her left arm, feels something sticky plastered to her skin, and it takes every ounce of her not to scream again. It is not painful, the pain faded hours ago, but the throbbing kept reminding her that _something was wrong with her arm_.

With a grunt she pushes herself up with the arm that didn't feel like it had been run over by a dozen horses before being crushed by wheels on a carriage and shakingly stood up on her own two feet. She was scared, the trees which she used to climb and swing from even scared her.

She wrapped her good arm around herself and left the other-her dominant arm, yes, she remembered now-dangling at her side. The soft silk of her cream blouse reminded her of home, and she felt a quiver of calm fill her before everything around her flickers from a wooded, snowy area to a crowded street-

 _-She stared from her place in her mothers arm, blinking curiously at her father and eight year old sister as they cheered alongside the crowd of people watching their Princess, their future Queen, pass by in her rose gold carriage; "Wave your flag, Alice dear!"-_

She blinks. It's gone, disappearing like a light flickering off in the distance.

'Oh my child. I had my eye on you for a long time, but I didn't suspect this to happen.'

She tenses, eyes looking around for the owner of the voice, before she feels a pull. A pull that makes her look up at the night sky and to the moon that she was pretty sure was not supposed to be that bright, or big. The face visible from the moon's surface makes the terror disappear, regardless of the fact that when she was younger it freaked her out a little. She wasn't scared anymore.

"Who are you?" she asks, and for a brief moment she believes that whoever was talking wouldn't be able to hear her, who would be able to hear something that sounded like a whisper in in the wind?

'I am the Man in the Moon.'

She arches a blood covered eyebrow.

"What are you doing in the moon? Your face is outside." for a moment, a small little second, she was certain that she heard him laugh, a quiet tinkling sound like a bell hanging in the doorway of a shop.

'So it seems.' he finally says into the cold night air.

 _-"Ladies don't wear trousers or throw themselves around like some sort of hooligan," her mother told her sister, although she knew that it was actually for her, currently rolling about the floor as she babbled about soaring through the clouds on the back of a dragon.-_

"Do you know what happened?" she asks next.

'Yes, dear child, I do.'

All her memories went by in a blur, rushing by like a train speeding past then...

 _-"Can I come-you didn't even let me finish-with you? Or are you going out to get my gift for my birthday?! Oh please say it so my dear, golden, sister!" she clasps her arms around her neck, hanging from her. Lucy protests, trying to shake off her sister, lacing her fingers through hers to pry them from her neck but Alice makes her body go limp in response._

 _Lucy stumbles but luckily for both of them she is strong enough to hold them both up. She has to be, the amount of times she had to carry or pull or hold her weight throughout the years. "_ _I am picking up a gift, yes, with the company of friends."_

 _She lets go and lands on the balls of her feet, blowing up her cheeks and looking down at her sister-only three inches shorter-with a playful huff._

 _"Fine, I'm more interested in this book anyway." she turns, stomping dramatically back to her window seat and plopping herself down, picking up the book in question; Oliver Twist. "Go, walk about with your friends, giggling about your fiance, stuffing your face with chocolate you could have shared with your adoring little sister. I will stay right here!"_

 _The look of sadness that appears on her sisters face is easily identified as fake, mocking actually, especially since the corners of her mouth kept twitching like she was trying to keep a smile off her face. "Alice..."_

 _Ignoring her amused big sister she opens the book with a flourish to the page she had been on and leans back against the window, placing her hand on her forehead for an added effect. "No, no, you made yourself perfectly clear! Bundle up tightly, Jack Frost visited this morning."_

 _A laugh, then footsteps fading away as her sister leaves her bedroom. She opens one eye and sees her retreating back. "_ _Be careful and come home safe." she says, a smirk on her face as she hears what she has just uttered._

 _Lucy turns her head and rolls her eyes, a smile on her face that screams 'I love you but do not pretend to be Mother'. "_ _I will!"_

 _Alice shakes her head, chuckling slightly as her sister vanishes from the room. Lucy shouting down the stairs and the front door opening and closing is heard, before it all goes silent. If she listened closely, she could hear the mumbles of the kitchen staff or the shifting of personal objects belonging to her parents and sibling being picked up so the furniture can be cleaned and dusted._

 _She turns back to her book, ignoring but appreciating her Siamese cat Victoria nuzzling her face against her feet which she had brought up to rest on the window-seat._

 _Oliver Twist had only been released ten years ago; a classic, a marvellous story of an orphan boy who was born in a workhouse and wanting something more, travelling to London-her home-and ends up tangled with a group of pickpockets. What an adventure!_

 _Oh, she could picture it now, her in Oliver's shoes, running to her future and fighting against the people wanting to stop her. Her face covered in soot, a cap on her head and her bare feet free from confinements as she ran about the streets of London!_

 _She doesn't realise she wasn't even paying attention to the words as she stares at her purring cat. "Can you imagine it, Victoria?" she sneaks a hand between her leg and the windowpane to scratch under her cat's ear. "Good little kitty, you can be my faithful sidekick. Hmm?"_

 _Victoria's purring of content blocked out the noise of her bedroom door opening as her hand travels down to her cat's stomach to rub there. Why would she care who walked in? A servant, a parent, a sister who loved her too much to leave her by herself and ask her to join her and her friends on shoving their mouths with chocolate?_

 _She doesn't have time to scream for help as the bullet pierces her arm and sends her body smashing against the windowpane. Her head smacking against the glass made her feel a little bit dazed, her vision blurring for a few moments._

 _What was happening?_

 _Her grip on the book tightened out of instinct, the cold feeling of splattered blood that coated the pages seeping into her fingertips. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish as her brain tries to process what was going on before she slumps in the corner of the window-seat, her eyes staring in horror at the three men standing at the door, all holding guns, one man-blonde curly hair, light green eyes, a round face-holding the gun that had fired the first shot. It was still smoking at the barrel._

 _Her brain reaches up to her body as she opens her mouth again to scream. **Mother! Father! Sister! Anyone!**_

 _Green eyes widen-round and huge-in absolute terror as the second of the three-another blonde, blue eyes this time, with a slightly more haughty face-takes a turn to fire. It hits her in the chest and the impact lurches her forward, her body falling to the floor below._

 _The book leaves her hand, clattering to the floor next to her. Victoria is hissing and spitting at the intruders shooting at her mistress, but they don't even pay attention to her pet, instead the last one-the third, she can see him now, greasy ginger hair, wild brown eyes and stumbling, most likely from the alcohol she knew they all had drank-walks towards her to check if she is still alive._

 _The groan she emits is absolutely primal as a spark travels through her. Adrenaline. The want to jump up, scoop up Victoria and run for her life until she disappeared into the warm December day appears in her mind. She can find Lucy and they can be together as they fled to safety._

 _She pulls herself onto her hands and knees, the sudden burst of energy fuelling her. Instead of taking one more shot, the butt of the gun is slammed down into the back of her head, sending her crumbling down into the violet floral rug, now turning a rusty dark purple from her blood._

 _The noises all around her-Victoria hissing and mewing, yelling and screaming from the servants and their murderers, **her** killers boots as they walk out of the room to hunt down their next victim-all fade away. __Her heart which had been beating rapidly against her chest slowing down as she desperately clung to it, trying to pull the thumping back so she can live, hunt down those monsters and have them hang from the neck._

 _Lucy. Oh no. What if they hadn't got to her? Or, horrifyingly, what if they already had?_

 _Her eyes flutter close. She's so tired. All right, just a quick nap, and then she'll find Lucy and they can go and get justice. I_ _f she was already dead..._

 _Well, at least she would see her again.-_

A gasp for air as she staggers back. Her bare feet, stinging pain from the cold biting into the skin, pressing hard into the snow below her. There was not even a body shape from when she had been laid down, the falling snow slowly beginning to cover it up.

Oh god, the dried up blood was hers. The metallic, tangy blood covering her blouse and skirt, which had been a light pink but was now dark red, was her own. Her hand immediately went to her chest, her fingers feeling for the hole that confirmed that what she had remembered had actually happened.

 _There._ A hole ripped into her blouse, dry blood surrounding the ruined fabric. Another hole in the sleeve of her left arm. She knew that her hair on the back of her head was mattered and covered in blood, but a quick feel around her injuries revealed that there were no bullet wounds or a split skull. Her surprise and confusion must have still been on her face as he answers;

'I healed them, closed your wounds so they would not bother you, but they may scar. However, there is a matter of concern regarding your arm. There is no exit wound, the bullet may be still lodged in there. I did not realise when I healed you, I am sorry, I can only do so much.'

The bullet was still in her arm. She lifts it just to make sure, and felt a flash of pain course through to her temple. Yes, definitely still in there. She lets out a small cry of discomfort, clutching her arm to her body, and she knew if the Moon could cringe he would be doing just that.

"I...Why am I still alive?" she asks.

Her saviour (her friend, perhaps?) answers with a hint of pride in his voice. 'You are to be one of the many spirits that roam this Earth.'

"Spirits? As in ghosts?" she can't help but widen her eyes. The voice chuckles.

'Not exactly. You see, there are some spirits that have died and were brought back to contribute to this planet like Cupid or the Leprechaun and some were chosen during their mortal lives to continue living. People like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, who were given the ability to help protect the children of the Earth.'

"They're real? All of them?" she knew it! Someone had to have taken her tooth or left her gifts under the Christmas tree that she had wanted without her parents or sister knowing! It could have been the servants, but why would they collect her tooth and what for? Disgusting, if you ask her.

The smile on the face of the moon really matched his tone of voice as he answered; 'Why of course! Where did you think their holidays and legends came from? Someone must have been telling the truth at some point. But that's not all, Mother Nature and her spirits were also made to help transition the many places of the world into each season. Some are even mundane things like the wind or the trees. Everything and anything.'

"And who will I be?" she asks, surprisingly calm. She was, however, itching to get this over with so she can find Lucy. The sisterly feeling in her gut was telling her that she was alive, she could feel it.

'Just like Cupid is the Spirit of Love and the Leprechaun is the Spirit of Luck, you will be the Spirit of Imagination. Remember, I had my eye on you for quite some time, I know about all the vivid things you come up with. Your mind is whirling with such creativity that I am certain you can share your gift to the children of the world. When they are struggling, help them create what their heart is telling them too, even if they are new little games. Inspire them, and by doing that you will be doing your job. But also, inspire yourself. Keep using your brain to create new things that help you or the immortal friends you make. Anything is possible if you use a little imagination."

"And my name?" she asks. Of course it could just be her birth name, but she doubted the Tooth Fairy's name was actually, well, the Tooth Fairy. Also, it never hurt to ask.

'Alice. Use your mortal surname if you choose, but your name is just Alice, the Spirit of Imagination. Now, go. Go and spread creativity across the globe, my child.' and just like that, the voice faded away, leaving her standing in a snowy clearing, her mind whirling with all the information she had just received.

She was dead and was now continuing to live? How long will she live for? Will she ever see Lucy-

Oh no, Lucy!

She doesn't recognise where she has, there were so many trees and it was so dark, but damn if that is going to stop her from getting home.

Anything direction was fine, so arm close to her chest she ran, stumbling to and fro, trying to find something familiar until her feet began to slowly rise from the ground. Like a baby bird trying to escape it's nest, she flew up into the air shakingly, wobbling about as she tried to get her bearings. She could fly. She could fly!

 _'Hello...'_ something whispers and she steadies herself to listen. The wind was blowing all around her, but the voice was as clear as day. _"Hello, little spirit?"_

"Moon, is that you?" she glances up at the Moon, but it's not as big or bright anymore. Then who-?

 _'You can...hear me.'_ she nods, hoping that the voice also had eyes, and the _wind_ responded with a howl of excitement that nearly flung her away. _'I apologise! No spirit has ever been able to hear me in centuries. Hello!'_

"Hello...? I'm sorry, who are you?" she was still trying to wrap her head around everything. First she dies, then she is brought back to life as a spirit, the moon is actually a man and now the wind can speak?

 _'I am the North wind that guides the spirits that possess flight through Winter, but the Grecian people called me Boreas.'_ the wind-no, Boreas-calmed down enough so she could float, although wobbling to and fro. _'I will show you how to properly guide yourself, if you prefer.'_

"Yes please! I need to get to London to find my sister! To see if she's all right!" she didn't even realise she was shouting, but Boreas didn't seem to care, instead the wind slowly enveloped her like a warm blanket.

 _'Then that shall be done. All you have to do is trust me, trust that I will not let you fall. Then, all you need to do is drop, go limp. I will do the rest.'_

A quick glimpse of her mind tells her not to do what he says and that she would certainly fall to her death, but she was brought back to life after being executed, so what else had she too lose?

She took a deep breathe, closed her eyes and fell, plummeting to the ground. The wind chased after and around her, and just before she could hit the ground the wind manoeuvred her that she arched and was sent back up into the air. "Whoa!" her eyes snapped open.

 _'Legs together always when you are in the air unless you are jumping up from the ground or making yourself fly faster. Your arms will always remain at your side, unless you are turning yourself up, down, left or right. They are your reigns while you are in the air. My brothers and I can't do everything for you, we can only do so much.'_

There it was again; _I can only do so much._

"Okay." legs clasped together, arms against her sides, she let the wind guide her to the beaming lights in the distance. She knew it was London instantly, the smoke piling from the workhouses and factories only confirmed her whereabouts. "To London?"

 _"To London!"_ a fierce gust of wind sent her flying towards the British capital. She couldn't believe it, how tiny and ant-like everything was, a giggle escaped her and from then on she continued to laugh, ignoring the fact her hair whipped against her cheeks from time to time.

She couldn't allow herself to forget what she was doing, but she couldn't help but enjoy herself. Who could say they had ever flied before? No one could, that's who! Except for other spirits, but this was her moment, not let them be apart of it just yet.

"There, there! My home!" she pointed to a small manor located in Westminster, surrounded by a fence covered in vines that matched most of the white, brick house. She made her descent, a little choppy considering she nearly tripped into one of the rose bushes located at the front of the house, but a decent enough landing nonetheless.

Her home was empty, and dark. Boreas had waited outside, disregarding the opened door that could have easily allowed the wind to move into the house and look around for itself, so she could look about without it hovering over her shoulder. She needed to be alone, to come to terms with what happened, because he certainly never would.

She didn't even stop to think of what could be in there as she ran up the pathway and the stairs, throwing the door to her home open, practically skipping in, missing the blood stained floors and walls.

She ran up the stairs and headed for the room belonging to her sister; "Lucy!"

It was ransacked, clothes and items thrown about, furniture overturned, possessions taken, but there was no sign of her. The feeling of dread she had not felt at all during the last few hours crept up her body, crawling slowly to encase every bit of her in fear.

"No...no..." she mumbled and pivoted, running down the hall to the opened door belonging to her parents bedroom. Also empty, and also destroyed. Some of her mother's jewellery was gone, and most of her father's expensive items, the photo-frames holding the pictures of her childhood were smashed and thrown about, but some were still salvageable, like the one of her and her sister on the balcony, standing next to each other with huge grins on their faces. It had been taken only a few months prior.

She slipped it out of the blue photo-frame, folded it up and placed it into her blouse pocket over her heart, which thankfully was not where the second bullet had hit her. With one last bit of hope, she ran out and into her own room.

Furniture overturned, clothes and every piece of fabric ripped to pieces, jewellery snatched...

It was dark and cold.

"Mother?"

The moon was beaming moonlight through the window and into her room, giving it a little light.

"Father?"

She began to shake, eyes darting around the room for anything, anyone, to hold her and tell her everything was going to be fine.

"Lucy?"

The dried up pool of blood on the floor in front of the window-seat. A sob, as she turned and fled.

 _Oliver Twist_ still laid on the floor of the room darkened by the night sky.

* * *

 **Boreas - the Grecian God of the North Wind associated with Winter. Zephyr and Notos are his brothers in this-although not biologically-and will also appear. Eurus, the Eastern wind, will not simply because she doesn't have a season. When mentioning any of the three Wind brothers they will be referred to as 'Wind' and 'it', but if it mentions their mortal lives then they will be referred to as 'he/his'.**

 **I thrive on reviews so please tell me what you think of it already!**

 **EDIT: I decided that being able to describe and show you what she's been doing during her years as an immortal is possible to weave into the story, as some I thought needed a few chapters dedicated to itself, but no I can do it so the main event of the story begins in the next chapter.**


	2. Sassy Yellow Buddha Satan

**Sorry for the late update! Hehe!**

* * *

 ** _Chapter Two_**

 _'Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."_  
 _\- Mother Teresa_

* * *

169 Years Later  
Burgess, Pennsylvania

"Jack?"

Fifteen year old Jamie Bennett tapped his best friend on the back. Jack turned, throwing a snowball up into the air and catching it lazily, an amused smile on his face. Monty had fallen into a snow bank and Sophie and Pippa were trying to get him out of it as Jack, Jamie, Claude, Caleb and Cupcake all watched, howling with laughter.

Jamie hated to put a stop to their snowball fight but he knew that when the lights appeared in the sky it was the Guardians calling for each other, that North needed the others to gather at the North Pole. An emergency Guardian meeting.

He knew it would be important; was Pitch returning? Would the Man in the Moon pick a new Guardian? Were the children of the world in danger?

Jamie wasn't afraid; he knew that the Guardians-Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Sandman and Jack Frost-would protect them like they always did, like they had done years ago.

"Yeah, kiddo?" he followed Jamie's pointed finger to the sky and when he noticed the lights, he sighed. "I'm off then. Sorry about leaving so suddenly, tell the others why I left for me, would ya?"

"Sure." he smiles, as if the Guardian of Fun abruptly leaving wasn't a common thing. He knew he didn't really want to leave, but his duties as a Guardian were more important then playing with his first batch of believers, unfortunately.

Jack ruffled his hair, laughing as the teenager protested and tried to swipe his hand away. "Thanks, Jamie."

Taking a tight grip of his staff he zipped into the air, leaving a flurry of snow and wind in his wake. Jamie placed a hand against his brow to block out the sun and watch the Guardian fly off with a smile on his face, then is suddenly it disappeared as Jack turned around and lobbed the snowball he had been throwing into the air right at him, hitting him square in the face.

His shout of alarm caused Jack to laugh and with another wave, which a spluttering Bennett returned, he flew off leaving Burgess behind.

* * *

Santa's Workshop, North Pole

If any child was lucky enough to step into the Santa Claus' workshop, they would only see general chaos as Yetis and elves ran around in a frenzy. Because in a week, it would be Christmas, and they still had two thousand toys to make.

Santa Claus, a giant former Russian Cossack known personally as Nicholas St. North or 'North', stomped around shouting orders left and right to his workers. "Christmas is in a week, we need every toy ship shape!" he kept reminding them.

"This better be good, North. I still have thousands of eggs to finish." the Guardian of Hope was the first to arrive, hopping straight to the fireplace to dry off. North didn't laugh or throw a comment as he normally would, instead he paced worriedly, remaining silent.

Oh no. Whenever he didn't throw back a retort about Christmas being more important then Easter, it worried Bunnymund.

Finally, he said; "This is really bad news, Bunny. Must wait for other Guardians to show."

"North! Bunny!" Tooth darted into the workshop only minutes later, a few tooth fairies hovering around her. "Is everything all right?"

North smiled at his friend. "Toothie, good to see you again!"

The Sandman was the next one to arrive, right on Tooth's tail, jumping down and evaporating his plane as he landed onto the floor. "Sandy!"

He just signalled his confusion and need to know what was going on, but North waved him off. "When Jack arrives!"

It seemed to take forever for the winter spirit to show; Bunny tapped his paw on the ground, Tooth fluttered about sprouting orders to her little fairies, Sandy was grabbing cookie after cookie from a plate-carrying elf and North continued to pace back and forth before Jack finally arrived, flying through the little opening in the ceiling.

"How is everyone doing? North you look incredibly jolly, excited for Christmas, eh? Sandy, you're looking gold as ever. Tooth, looking very fluffy. Bunny, you're looking cold."

Bunny huffed, but said nothing, causing the spirit to laugh. Jack landed on the floor, twirling his staff expertly in his hands as he went and shoving his other hand into his sweaters pocket.

"Can we get to the point in this meeting?" the Pooka finally asked.

North stopped pacing and stood in front of everyone, not making eye contact, instead staring over them into the distant as if lost in thought. Jack's eyebrows furrowed in concern; he had never seen North look so worried before, not since the Battle of Burgess.

Tooth zipped closer, placing a hand on the giant man's shoulder. "North?"

He looked at each of them individually before answering; "Pitch is back."

All of them reeled back in shock; Bunny hopped back, letting go of his paw which he had been warming up next to the fireplace. Tooth let go of North's shoulder to flutter away from him, hands going straight to her mouth as her fairies screamed and tried to hide around the room, behind pillars and curtains and even some yetis like they expected Pitch to appear suddenly and grab them out of thin air, stuffing them back into cages in the dark of his underground lair. Sandy blinked, his appearance the less effected, and Jack physically staggered back as if North had struck the poor lad without any warning. He might as well had, it would have been less surprising then that news.

Pitch Black was back, and according to North's face, more dangerous and deadlier then before.

"How do you know?" Tooth whispered, horror taking over her voice.

"Man in Moon told me." he replies, like the whole thing was unthinkable, or as if he hadn't done it in a very long time. Either way, Jack did not believe him for a second. When had the Man in the Moon ever spoke to him in full sentences? Saying 'Jack Frost' and then departing was the only thing he had gotten from him in three hundred years, and he was a Guardian now!

"He told you?" he asked, eyebrow arched. "As in, physically spoke to you?"

North nodded and tapped his temple. "Through head."

"So he spoke to you telepathically." Jack stated, hoping no one was confused and this happened to them _all the time_. "Why would he do that?"

"Threat is really bad; Pitch has..." North shuddered as if the very thought was as terrifying as it was dangerous. "...has successfully channeled the God of Nightmares."

He shook his head as if it was the worst thing in the world. Sandy began to jump up and down in anger as Tooth's wings stopped flapping for a moment before her whole body began to shake in fear and even Bunny's ears became droopy. Jack was the only one not to react, instead watching the four, confused and concerned. What was so bad about this God of Nightmares working with the Boogeyman, the personification of nightmares?

"We need to stop him. Now." Tooth all-but demanded. The others began to nod.

"Who's the God of Nightmares?" he asked. All of them turned their heads to look at each other then back at him, and Jack felt himself slowly start to grow frustrated. If they were to stop this threat, then all of the Guardians should know who they were, including himself. Why was it because he was the youngest Guardian by a few hundred years did they think it okay to keep him out of the loop with things?

Tooth flew forward, immediately sensing his anger begin to rise. She was a good friend, better then Bunny at least who just continued to stare at him like he was supposed to know all the answers to the universe and didn't seem like sharing anytime soon. "We will tell you Jack, just-...not now."

"Why?" he asked. "Shouldn't we all know who he is?"

"Because, Jack, we're going to get a new Guardian." she replied, to his surprise. She turned to North. "Am I right?"

He nodded, "And we don't need crystal to know who it is."

Sandy floated to stand in the middle of the three of them, jumping up and down in excitement and began to use his dream-sand to sign things atop his head. His excitement was causing it to go to fast, making it unable to be made out by the other Guardians.

Jack blinked. "Who?"

Bunny, finally, hopped forward. "Alice, the Spirit of Imagination."

Jack had never met her, but he had heard of her. Firstly, that she was well-known by practically everyone in the spirit world and was the role model every younger spirit looked up too and two, that her reputation had completely shrouded her in mystery. While everyone knew him as the rebel winter spirit without a cause, she was a closed off book with a latch that no matter how hard you yanked and yanked, it would never open. The true her shone out in moments where she was talking about her job or her closest friends, and at the end of the day they still hadn't gotten to the center of her. She was friendly on the outside, but deep down held layers and layers of well, Alice, that no one had ever seen before.

Well, all except for Sandy.

It was like the two shared a sort of connection that no one could comprehend.

"I'll go get her!" North practically beamed at the idea, all trace of fear and worry gone from his round face. "New plan this time!"

Tooth tutted, wagging a finger at him with a smile on her face. "I believe it's Jacks turn." she said to the excited Cossack.

He frowned in reply. "But I have really good idea to get convince her to join us!"

"You really want the Spirit of Imagination on your ass, North?" Bunny asked, tapping a giant paw on the ground, arms crossed. "You know how angry she gets around spirits who annoy her, and you are on that list."

"But so are you." Tooth added to the amusement of both Sandy and Jack, who looked at each other, the winter spirit chuckling.

"Please!" North begged as if he was a child wanting to go to an amusement park or buy an expensive game. "Jack can do next time!"

Well, Jack wondered if there would ever be a next time. It was like, what, three hundred years between North becoming a Guardian and Jack? And if North took his turn, then when would the seventh Guardian come along? He was not waiting another three hundred years to throw off the best kidnapping in history!

"Hey that's not how it goes!" Jack argued. "You and Bunny kidnapped me, so now it's my turn!"

"I suggest Sandy and I go, I mean he is friends with her and we're at least acquaintances, I know I'm not on her list. She's nice to me whenever we pass each other." Tooth butted in.

Ever since their last battle with Pitch, she had began to join in collecting teeth from all around the world, sometime meeting children still awake to meet the Tooth Fairy. In the past the fairies would have just knocked them out but Tooth was delighted to speak with them, if only for a short while. Once she had gotten over her initial confusion on how to handle children, especially Sophie, she had become kind of like a mother-figure to the ones she saw regularly, like Jamie and the Burgess believers.

"Tooth has a point." Bunny said, much to both of the winter spirit's chagrin, who groaned, disappointed. Sandy nodded, a fond smile on his face.

"Do we even know where she is?" Jack asked. Bunny, North and Tooth all looked at the Guardian of Dreams, who was nodding almost smugly. He would have went to see her that night if a meeting hadn't been called. He seemed to be the only Guardian she actually was friends with.

"And will she come along?" Jack asked Sandy, leaning against his staff. He remembered his own kidnapping of course, being shoved into a sack and thrown into a magic portal was not one of his best days.

The other Guardians looked at each other and Sandy's head shake caused to Tooth sigh; "I'll get the sack."

* * *

Somewhere in Europe

"Are you ready to get this party started?!" April Fools shouted over the crowd, causing a cheer to erupt.

Balancing on a branch overlooking the clearing, Alice watched what would be the celebration of a lifetime. Jack O'Lantern stood next to her, a smile on his face. Well, it was hard to see his expression, as his head was actually a pumpkin and his features like eyes, nose and mouth rarely moved, but she bet he was happy. His eyebrows, the only part of his face that moved which were actually carved in by April when she couldn't tell what his face was trying to portray, weren't lying.

"Gaius, Angus, Alice. Let's do this!" at the sound of her name, or signal, Alice lifted a leg and kicked back against the tree trunk.

It seemed to do nothing at first, all causing it to shake. However, the vibrations caused a single red apple to fall and hit a skeleton right on the head. It seemed to do kick it into gear, as it grabbed a guitar next to him and began to tune it, letting out a loud noise. It made three other skeletons react, jumping into action the minute they were aware it was time.

Soon enough, the band all playing various instruments, filled the space with music. The crowd cheered and Alice smiled; her job was done.

Gaius flew over everyone in an arch, throwing balls of light into the air. Instead of falling, they floated over the crowd, before beginning to shine different colors; red, green, blue, purple and yellow lights changing, swapping with one another. The Spirit of Love wiped of his hands and flew down to join the crowd now dancing.

Angus, at the call of his name, dropped the same red apple (which had rolled over to him) that had hit the skeleton on the head, into a cauldron. Fumes that smelled suspiciously like pumpkin and grape filled the air-how was those scents able to come out of an apple?-and wafted over the floor, causing a few people to run over to the table.

Alice couldn't help have her eyes roll in amusement; of course April would have the Irishmen in charge of the drinks.

The noise of the party would have surely woken up people everywhere, but no one had any cause of concern; the Realm of Halloween, belonging and ruled by Jack O'Lantern, could only be accessed by spirits through a tree in the middle of a cemetery in Hallstatt, Austria.

Her friends realm was a never-ending forest, always dark and covered with think layer of fog. If someone else, someone with ill intentions, ran the place you would be thrown out in a random place and made to roam until you found the Spirit of Halloween's home, a big tree in the center of the forest. Instead the entrance spat you out in front of it, a few steps away so you could see the entirety of the tree. Inside, through the entrance of the root, was magical.

Creatures from every way of life walked about, lights covering the entire inside of the tree. With Mother Nature's interference, a long root grew out of the ground to create a platform which wined around the base of the tree, creating a platform to climb to different floors. Branches grew out to create railings, and at the top of the tree, in the branches, was Jack O'Lantern's throne room.

It was mostly empty, except for the throne resting against the back of the trunk, elegantly carved from one of Mother Nature's own trees from her Empire as a gift for Jack O'Lantern's throne room to celebrate his one thousandth birthday.

A throne room now converted into a dance floor for spirits of the world and of the realm in which it was hosted to party the night away in celebration. Jack O'Lantern didn't turn three thousand years old every day.

Alice watched everyone from her branch, smiling fondly.

Angus was now having an argument with a tipsy spirit who was either on his first or second drink, she didn't know which. The Irishman was slowly growing red in the face, and she chuckled. April and Jack were walking through the crowds, inspecting their party with faces of accomplishment. Or she thought they were, Jack's face was hard to read. And Gaius...

...Gaius was gyrating against a spirit of spring, right in front of an approaching April who was oblivious to the sight before her.

Alice's eyes widened and she shot down off her perch to land right behind her, shooting her hand out to cover her eyes as she led her away, ignoring her shouts of alarm. As she passed Gaius, Alice hit him over the head, glaring. He just shrugged and continued dancing.

She sighed and Jack covered his mouth in a gesture of laughing as she led April to the opposite side of the dance floor, passing past vampires, witches and ghosts to name a few as she chose a more appropriate stop.

"Alice!" April whined.

She laughed and let go, stepping back to give her space. "You are not old enough to be seeing what Gaius was doing."

April made a face at the thought of what the Spirit of Love had been up too, but continued to argue anyway, like it would change the event. "I'm almost eighty five years old!" Alice crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, much to her chagrin. "Nearly a hundred; I'm old enough, don't you think?"

"Find a way to not look fourteen and maybe I will." she replied.

April sighed, pouting. "Well not _everyone_ can die at the age of eighteen."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "You didn't die."

"So?" she crossed her arms, turning her head away. "My point still stands."

She exhaled, closing her eyes to curse at the Man in the Moon for her stubbornness, when chirping in her ear interrupted her praying. She opened her eyes and looked at her shoulder, where a fluffy hummingbird fluttered.

Now, this wasn't one of Tooth's. They were made and looked differently; more like a sub species then the same breed. While Tooth's had feathers, hers had fur, and the small Tooth Fairies were actually the inspiration for Alice's. Like collecting teeth, it made Alice's job as the Spirit of Imagination easier.

"What is it?" she asked. The fairy who answered to the name of Blu, chirped and pointed up into the air. Alice followed her finger, and gave a big open mouth smile at the sight above her.

A plane made entirely of dream-sand flew into the tree, dodging branches expertly as it neared the wooden floor. She excused herself from April's rant, which she hadn't even been listening too anyway, and rushed over to Sandy's landing spot.

"Sandy! You made it!" she called as she approached. The small man pulled off his goggles and floated out of the plane which dissolved back into dream-sand as he landed. He conjured up a top hat and bowed, much to her amusement.

"Are you ready to party old friend?" she asked. He frowned and shook his head, making eye contact with her.

Immediately, the two began to have a conversation entirely telepathically. It was one of the many things that had surprised both her and Sandy; only the Man in the Moon and, to Sandy's annoyance, Pitch could do that. She had never learnt, but it seemed to be a natural talent, along with the ability to keep their conversations between them, although sometimes she couldn't help but speak her answers out loud.

"Huh? You can't stay? Why?" Sandy looked almost sad at how visibly upset she was. Blu sat on her shoulder, patting her neck, trying to comfort her.

"I see, a Guardian meeting." she nodded. "Well, I can't force you to stay, your duties are more important after all."

Sandy looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry." he signed.

"It's okay." she smiled, patting his shoulder. "I'm not mad, you have a job to do after all."

"No, not about the party." he looked up and at her with his golden eyes.

"Huh, then what about then?" she asked, just as Blu squeaked in her ear. She turned her head to look at her, but instead saw pink and green feathers and wings flapping behind her. Before she could even turn, her whole world went dark; turning a deep red. "What?!"

She yelped as she was hoisted up into the air and rolled, bending into a U shape. Before she could even try and reach for the light, now above her, the sack she had been tossed into closed. Blu's tweets and squeaks next to her ear and the sound of glass breaking were the only signs that she hadn't just died or passed out, and through the material she could see blue and white, constantly moving.

"Help!" she called, but her voice was muffled and inaudible over the music, and so her friends and the other spirits couldn't hear her. No one was paying attention to what was going on in the background.

With that, she was thrown in the direction of the moving colors, and began to roll through the air. "Whoa!"

Her back hit the floor almost immediately after, and she groaned as her breath was knocked out of her. She blinked in surprise, Blu fluttering above her, letting out squeaks that she knew translated to; 'are you all right?'

No, she was not alright. She had just been kidnapped!

She had just been kidnapped.

Her eyes narrowed as it dawned upon her, and she instantly saw red. Who?!

"This is the last time I trust a Guardian! The minute I get my hands on that sassy yellow Buddha Satan-!" her threats came to an abrupt stop the minute she saw light and made her way out.

Nicholas St. North-Santa Claus-was standing right in front of her, hands on his hips in greeting. E. Aster Bunnymund-the Easter Bunny-to his right clutching a boomerang and Jack Frost to his left leaning on his staff. Toothiana-the Tooth Fairy-hovered above the Guardian of Hope surrounded by a few of her little fairies (Alice curiously noticed that one wasn't even near them and was perched on the Spirit of Winters shoulder) as Sanderson Mansnoozie-the Sandman-stood in front of but in-between the Guardians of Wonder and Fun respectively.

Everyone was silent until; "Ah, Alice you're here! Welcome to the Pole!"

 _"What the actual fuck?!"_

* * *

 **The descriptions of April Fools, Jack O'Lantern, Angus (the Leprechaun) and Gaius Valentine (Cupid) are mine. There's no need to explain who they are, you pretty much know what they do already, or get the jist of it ;).**


	3. The Day Bunny Had His Ass Handed to Him

**_Chapter Three_**

Jack watched as it took Tooth, Sandy, two yetis and a brown fairy that resembled Tooth's own to hold Alice back from murdering the cowering Guardian of Wonder.

When she had finally calmed down and composed herself, she stared accusingly at the man. "This better be good North, I have an aspiring writer who is currently searching for an ending to her first fantasy book and she wants it to be good. If I'm not there by morning she's going to have serious writers block and it'll be all your fault."

Jack took the moment to take in the spirit that he had heard whispers of, but hadn't met in the last three hundred or so years.

Her brown hair was pinned up in a chignon, very professional and, he noted, very Victorian. Her face was bare of any mortal cosmetics; many spirits, like Tooth according to her pink eyeshadow, had embraced 'make-up' eagerly. She, however, didn't seem to even consider wearing any either from having enough self-confidence to veto the very idea or because she didn't want the mortals inventions to affect her or her job.

He didn't know what the reason was, but he could guess.

"Man in Moon has chosen you to be Guardian!" North threw his hands in the air as in celebration, while Sandy began to clap. Tooth zipped around in glee, while Jack leaned against his staff with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face.

At that exact moment, yetis burst out from behind pillars and down the hallway, tossing and turning poles lit with fire. She stared, eyes wide, and began to back away, only to be met with two furry walls blocking her path.

Before North could take the initiation book from another yeti, Alice zipped up into the air, did a perfect back-flip and landed on the globe in a crouching position as if she was about to take flight if they made any sudden movements. Everyone stared at her.

"What makes you think I want to be a Guardian anyway?!" she snapped.

"Well this sounds familiar." Jack whispered to Sandy, who nodded.

"No one, in their right mind, wants to be one of _you_ people." the hatred in her voice caused all of them, bar from Sandy, to step back. "For hundreds of years you've looked down on _everyone_ because they weren't one of you. You thought yourself superior to everyone because children could see you, and you could take credit for trying to protect the children. Bunny," she turned to the Pooka who took another step back, "the Groundhog was trying to save a child from being run over by a tractor and you're first thought was that he was trying to murder him! You attacked him for no reason! If he hadn't saved that toddler he would have _died_!"

She let that news simmer in the air, everyone staring at Bunnymund who's ears were slowly lowering, his own eyes not even looking at anyone.

"You _deserve_ what the Groundhog is giving you over the years." she glared. "We also protect the children, but you don't see us getting any credit! No one believes in us, no one knows our names! Me and the other spirits out there are the reason you have most of your believers anyway, and we felt what happened when Pitch last returned. For hundreds of years we've been helping you four keep children believing in you without taking any credit. And not to be selfish here, but I've probably done the most work!"

"Crike-Done most of the work? What do you even _do_ , anyway?" Bunny dared to even interrupt her scolding, stepping forward in an act of defiance.

A flash of surprise, so quick Jack almost didn't catch it, shone on her face.

He was surprised too; was Bunny so detached from the other spirits that he didn't know what they individually did?

Even he, who had been alone for the last three hundred or so years, knew.

Her eyes darkened, and she narrowed them at him dangerously.

Sandy took a cautious step back which went unnoticed by the other Guardians; the three not under her cannon at the moment watching with interest rather then being on edge. It was like they were watching a reality TV show and not one of their friends about to get wrecked by this much younger girl.

"I," her the start of her reply was full of malice, although she was able to keep her voice calm, like the two were having a casual conversation, "inspire the children of the World. Some begin to doubt your existence at a young age because of a parent or a sibling or even another child telling them you're not real, and so it's up to me to help them remember and even help them believe in what you do; some children want to believe you do incredible things, and I help them. If it wasn't for me you would have ran out of believers years ago. Even if they can't see me, they would still believe in me, because every child believes in their own imagination. That's what I do."

She turned to look at each and every one of them, her eyes staring straight into each of theirs.

Jack felt something crawl up his spine when her green connected with his blue.

"So to end my little inspirational speech-" she looked straight back at Bunnymund.

And that's when the Pooka noticed she had gotten closer to him in the last minute.

"Go suck an egg, Edmund."

Her fairy placed her hands on her hips and flew straight at Bunny, letting out a string of chitter that Jack imagined was 'tut tut tut'.

The two stared at each other for a few tense seconds before Alice looked away and in the direction of a stunned Jack and Sandy.

"Everything I've just said wasn't directed at you two; you both actually _tried_ to see the rest of us as equals, especially you Sandy, so for that I thank you. Jack-"

The two made eye contact; her warm green to his icy blue and yet again, he felt a tingle move up his body rather then in his spine like the last time.

"I'm sorry we all ignored you over the year, and I'm especially sorry for those selfish pricks who think they're better then everyone else-" her eyes dart to Bunnymund for a moment, "but me and my friends couldn't find you anywhere. It seemed whenever we were in South America or Asia you were in Europe or America. I know that's not a good enough apology, but I hope you can accept it either way."

She gave them both a small smile, which Sandy happily returned but Jack could only stare, his jaw would be unhinged right now if he could move.

There had been other spirits who had actually wanted to be his friend?

Bunnymund was too much in shock to talk and North still a little scared so Tooth took over.

"How _do_ you inspire the children of the world?"

Alice blinked.

"Well, I-it's hard to explain. A few years after I was chosen to be a spirit, I noticed that you had made copies of yourself to collect teeth. I had to travel all around the world when I felt a child need inspiration, and it was getting exhausting. Then, it came to me. I could make fairy like beings like your fairies and assign them each to a child, who help them when they are inspired. I take over when they become an adult and stop believing. It made my job less tiring, and so my little helpers were born." the fairy that was with her fluttered forward, batting her eyelashes, giving them all a closer look.

Jack-and all of the Guardians, _including_ Bunnymund-were immediately impressed.

The fairy did have fur, rather then feathers, and had different colour eyes then their counterparts. They seemed to correspond with Alice's hair and eye colour, and that's when it all made sense. They shared the hair and eye colour of their respected charge, and whenever they had blue or purple or green or pink and any other unnatural hair colour in their fur it had changed to match their child. Which explained the few he had seen.

It was incredible.

Baby Tooth let out a delighted squeal from Jack's shoulder and flew forward to check out her counterpart, and some of her own curious sisters who had arrived with Tooth also came to see their cousin. As they prodded and poked one another, Sandy caught Alice's attention.

"Show them what _I_ can do?" Sandy nodded and Alice gave a nod. "All right."

She tugged on a small piece of string keeping a pouch attached to a belt closed, which Jack just noticed was there, before launching into the air and rocketed down to the floor below them.

Jack practically threw himself over the railings, holding on but low enough that he could see exactly what was going on. Bunny and North had to head to the elevator, but Tooth and Sandy joined the Winter spirit over the railings.

Alice flew over a few of the yetis working on toys, taking a dash of what was in the small pouch out and into the palm of her hand, before sprinkling it over the yetis heads.

As the dust settled on them, hypothetical lightbulbs appeared over their heads and they began to rush about, shouting in their language at each other and the elves in the way.

"Huh, I thought the elves made the toys?" she said, wiping the remaining pieces of silver sand off her hand with the other.

"That's what I thought too!" Jack exclaimed, and Alice smiled at him.

He felt the same tingle again, this time travelling down his entire body. Before he had time to contemplate on it Tooth spoke up.

"So you inspired them?" she asked.

"Exactly." Alice smiled. "That's my job. So," she flew back up to the floor above, causing everyone-including a disgruntled Bunnymund and tired North-to head back up.

Once everyone was gathered she crossed her arms. She kept a distance from them, which Jack understood completely.

"Why am I here? A spirit acting out you want help to put back in their place?"

She was joking, but Jack didn't miss the cold look that appeared in her eyes before it quickly disappeared.

"Manny believes it's final battle with Pitch." North said, very matter-of-fact.

Alice snorted, waving him off like a fly too close to her face. "Pitch? Pitch Black? Didn't you five defeat him thirty six years ago? If he's back you all didn't do a good job of it."

"It was actually four-" Tooth began but Bunny interrupted.

"And ya think ya could have done better?" he asked, not trying to hide the offended tone in his voice.

Alice grinned and her eyes twinkled, like she knew something he, the rest of them, didn't. "Yes."

Sandy stared at her. He knew what she had meant, and so would North, Tooth and Bunny if they stopped and tried to remember what he had told them nearly a hundred years ago.

"Surprisingly; Sandy, Pitch and I kind of have the same powers, if you think about it."

"Like the Gods of Dream?" Tooth asked. One of Alice's eyebrows lifted in confusion.

"Gods of Dream? Like Sandy's center?" Jack gestured to the tiny man, and all four other Guardians realized that he was trying to get their attention the entire time. Taking the chance, Sandy pointed at Tooth and with his dream-sand formed a book.

"He wants you to tell a story." Alice interpreted as Sandy nodded. "I assume about these 'Gods of Dream' you mentioned."

Tooth's feathers ruffled. "Oh, all right. Sandy told me this story hundreds of years ago so I'm just going off the top of my head here; stop me if I get confused, all right Sandy?"

The smallest Guardian nodded.

"Alright..."

"Long before any of us were born, there were the Oneiroi, various gods and demigods that ruled over dreams, nightmares, and symbols. They excelled in a form of divination based upon dreams that uses dreams to predict the future.

Nyx the God of Night gave birth to three triplet brothers; Morpheus the God of Dreams, Phantasos-or Icelos as was his original name-the God of Nightmares and Phobetor the God of Surreal Dreams. By who, Erebus the God of Darkness or another God, no one knows or remembers. The Grecian who believed in them thought them to be Gods, but in actuality they were survivors of the Golden Age. The Oneiroi family escaped to Earth to save themselves from Pitch's reign of destruction."

"What has this got to do with Pitch?" Alice asked, crossing her arms.

"The lead fearling that controls what once was Kozmotis Pitchiner is Icelos, or what is left of him. He was possessed by a single fearling during their escape, who he fought back against for years until he lost the battle. The fearling controlling him slaughtered his entire family including his younger brother, Phantasos, and fought with his older brother Morpheus, both brothers injuring one another before he disappeared.

Then, as Icelos lay bleeding out, Pitch was sent to Earth by the Tsar Lunar's bodyguard, Nightlight, during the last battle. The fearling, taking his chance, used Icelos' dying body to lure Pitch and combined them, creating Pitch Black. The Pitch we see is, for example, just a projection of the true King of Nightmares. The true Boogeyman is a possessed Icelos."

"That's how Pitch can control nightmares? Because of Icelos?"

"Not exactly, but you're a little bit correct." Tooth smiled. "His control of nightmares is from Icelos, as the God of Nightmares, but everything else is completely Kozmotis Pitchiner. How he becomes a shadow, his sand, how he forms weapons with his hands, everything else. In the past Icelos could turn dreams into nightmares with just a slight touch to the forehead, but now-...well, you've seen what he can do."

"So Icelos is kind of still alive then?" Jack suggested.

"No." the fairy shook her head. "Icelos' died a long time ago, and his soul was possessed by the fearling and is now inside of Pitch."

"So he's not truly dead; not until his soul is freed." Alice whispered.

Tooth nodded. "Yes, but separating them both is pretty much impossible. You need divine power to save Kozmotis and Icelos from the fearling, power none of us have. Stopping Pitch is the best way."

"Wait...what happened to Morpheus?" Bunny spoke up.

"No one knows, he just...vanished. Poof, gone just like that." Tooth shook her head. Her fairies, who had came over after fawning over their counterparts, fussed over her as Baby Tooth flew back to Jack and Blue back to Alice.

"Tooth?" North took a step forward to place a hand on his friends' shoulder.

She shook her head once more and looked up.

"I'm sorry, it's just...Phantasos was only a child, he was so close to adulthood and then he was gone, killed by the one person he could trust."

"Tooth..." Jack murmured. "We couldn't have done anything."

"I know, I know." the fairy's feathered drooped and Alice's hard stare softened.

She hated that she was sad, looking so miserable at the thought of a child dying and them not being able to save them. They probably thought that every time there was a disaster out of their control, either caused by humans or ordered by Mother Nature, who was just doing her job at the end of the day. Being a Guardian must be tough.

"Maybe we can find out what happened to Morpheus." Bunny suggested to comfort his oldest friend.

Tooth smiled a little and shrugged. "We could try-"

"Alice! Alice!"

Tooth froze, her feathers ruffled, and began looking around for the person who had interrupted her. Sandy, for the third time today, noticed the new arrival and began to try and get everyone's attention. The only person who seemed to be trying to understand what he was saying was Alice, who followed his finger to the open hatch in the ceiling.

While this was happening, Jack began counting all in attendance before asking; "Were we expecting someone?"

"April?" Alice questioned as she watched the spirit, a child as noted by the Guardians, crash land onto the rug by their feet.

Everyone, in different states of shock, could only stare until a gasp flew out of the Fairy Queen's mouth and she flew forward with incredible speed to help her up.

"Are you all right, little one?"

"I'm fine, thank you." April took the offered help and climbed to her feet.

Tooth's fairies fluttered around her in concern, but she didn't even react to them-kind of like she was used to it, Jack noted-and instead focused her attention straight at the Spirit of Imagination.

"What's wrong?" Alice practically charged at her.

"The Palace is being attacked by Nightmares! Gaius and Angus are there trying to fight back but there's too many of them! They're destroying the fairies!"

Alice nearly fell out of the air.

"No...no!"

Jack couldn't help but roll his eyes. _Really, Pitch? Again?_

"Wait, why is he destroying the fairies?"

"Each fairy represents the imagination of each child and even adult. Every night they come back to the Palace-when I constructed it, in the past they remained with their child-to sleep but when they wake they're off, back to their chosen child and adult to keep their imagination strong. If he's destroying them, he's destroying their imagination, and by doing that..." Alice paled at the thought.

"Their belief in us." Bunny finished.

She nodded, eyes a bright green.

"We need to stop them, or save as many fairies as we can or we are all doomed." Alice didn't mean to make it sound so glum, but that was how it came out as. The Guardians, yetis and even the elves all stared in different layers of shock and terror. She pitied them a small amount.

North was the first to jump into action. "Everyone, to the sleigh!"

"No!" Alice shook her head. "Jack, Tooth, Sandy you can fly so you're with me and April! North take Bunnymund and meet us there! We can't waste another second!"

And with that she shot of like a rocket, April right behind her. Sandy didn't waste another second, following them in his makeshift dream plane. Jack and Tooth looked at one another before flying after them, leaving North and Bunnymund to ride the sleigh to the Palace as the only two spirits that did not possess the ability of flight.

Jack flew past Sandy and April as the group flew over the North Pole and south towards the United Kingdom.

He slowed down once he reached Alice, who's eyes were narrowed and her face taken on a serious expression. He gripped his staff tightly in one hand, feeling Baby Tooth who didn't do good flying in the cold press against his neck for warmth.

"What happens when the child dies?" Jack asked out of the blue. Alice looked at him.

"They retire, there's a little fairy retreat in Brazil I made by an agreement with Mother Nature." Alice gave him the first genuine smile she had given one of the Guardians since she was kidnapped and tossed through a magical portal.

But from how she was talking about her fairies he was certain she was smiling for them, and not him. "I don't have Bunny's or Sandy's there as they aren't from this planet but I have Tooth's, North's, even yours there."

Jack looked at her. "Even mine?"

A nod. "Yep. When you were chosen to become Jack Frost your fairy came to the retreat. Whenever someone is chosen to become a spirit, their fairy is held in great esteem and given the best of the best." Jack's eyebrow arched and her eyes widened in response, shaking her head furiously. "That wasn't my idea, they thought of it themselves."

"And I assume that one is yours?" he pointed at the fairy that flew right next to her face, its wings going as fast as it could.

"You are correct. She's the first one I ever made." she gave it a small smile before looking over her shoulder at the others. "Are you ready?"

Sandy put a thumb up and April nodded. Tooth and Jack on the other hand just looked confused.

"Ready for what?" Tooth asked.

The Spirit of Imagination smirked.

"This," and with a flick of her wrist she had a small handful of silver sand in her palm and she used it to form something that resembled North's snow-globes. And as she threw it, Jack realized that in amazement it was. An exact replica.

That caused the entire group to fly through the portal and appear out of the other side.

To see Alice's Palace completely overrun with nightmares.

Everyone came to a stop in mid air.

"No..." Alice's legs wobbled and she nearly fell out of the sky if it wasn't for April darting forward to help her up. Her fairy-Jack still didn't even know her name-flew to her and sat on her shoulder, nuzzling into her neck.

"You're not getting very creative Pitch!" Alice bristled. "You did this last time with Tooth's fairies!"

Jack, Tooth and Sandy couldn't agree more; he clearly lacked imagination if this was the start of his plan. Just do what he did four years ago and hope for the best.

And it dawned on everyone collectively that maybe that is what he wanted them to think all along.


End file.
